Downton Sands: A New Arrival
by digthatshizz
Summary: Rubbish name I know but does what it says on the tin. Next season at Downton Sands, Anna is nearly ready to give birth, John is back at the park.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so we skip forward to May/June. Baby Bates is almost due and John is working at Downton Sands, Anna on maternity leave. Lots of fluff, not too serious and you may have needed to read Downton Sands and Donton Sands: A Christmas Wedding to get any of this. Enjoy :)**

**John's POV**

Quietly creeping out of the room, I look back to check Anna is still sound asleep before shutting the door softly shut. Breathing a sigh of relief I make my way carefully downstairs into the living room. Now eight and half months pregnant, she hasn't been sleeping well, meaning mood swings which result in me getting it in the neck for still being able to fall into a state of slumber. Deciding to use this 'quiet time' to catch up on some television I had missed since my wonderful wife was now asleep, and woe betide anyone who takes the remote control from her, I settle into down on the sofa. It was my night off from Downton Sands and although planning to spend it with Anna, she was tired and decided she wanted us to have an early night.

'Ahhh,' I sigh, smiling as the credits to my favourite crime drama begin. It's barely one exchange between hero and villain in before I hear footsteps coming down the stairs.

'John Bates,' I hear coming from the hallway. 'Where are you?' Looking to the heavens, well the ceiling, I close my eyes before answering.

'In here, my love,' I reply. More quickly that you would expect a woman in her condition to be able to move, she was standing at the door, nightgown barely covering her as her bump was now huge.

'Why did you come down here?' she questions, like I have committed the worst crime of the century and not only come downstairs to watch TV.

'Well, I couldn't sleep and I only get one night off so thought I'd leave you to sleep and catch up on some television.' I reply.

Plonking herself down beside me, I am relieved when she rests her head on my shoulder. 'I hate you.'

Chuckling, I put an arm around her shoulder. 'I know you do.' I have got used to this sort of language from her recently, I am the person who put her in this state so I must suffer as much as her.

'Mum and Sophie are coming to stay next week until the baby is born, I told you that didn't I? She says, wrapping an arm around my waist.

'Ahh, yet more punishment,' I joke, turning the television off as I can tell she is in the mood for a chat. 'I'm glad there will be someone here with you whilst I'm off being Mikey, or Perry.'

'Hmm...' she replied and I could tell she wasn't really listening to what I was saying. 'Do you know what I really fancy?'

'Me?' I asked, kissing her head.

'No...'

'Oh thanks...'

'A strawberry milkshake. From McDonalds.' she continued. 'And a double cheeseburger with extra gherkins.'

'Darling, I'm in my pyja...'

'And a large fries. No salt.' Looking at me, she flashed me one of her smiles that she knew I couldn't resist.

'I'll get the car keys, shall I?' I sighed, standing up.

'Yeah, and if you go to the drive thru you'll only need a coat.' she pointed out.

'Thanks for the tip.'

* * *

**Anna's POV**

With it now being June, Downton Sands is in it's high season and John is there at least ten hours a day. I miss him when he's not here so am relieved Mum and Sophie are moving in for the final weeks of my pregnancy. Dad was going on his annual golfing holiday, mum still hadn't forgiven him for going away when his daughter was about to give birth. I just can't work out why you would go on holiday to play golf.

We are busy unpacking their things into the spare room they will be sharing when John walks in. 'Ladies,' he says, leaning against the door frame.

'John,' Mum says, eyeing my husband up and down in his work uniform. 'Do they make you wear that too?'

'Good day?' I ask, approaching him and trying to reach up to give him a kiss. Realising I can't, Sophie and Mum laughing at this awkward situation, he bends down to allow me to kiss his cheek.

'Not bad, Thomas dropped a whole crate of cider over Branson's foot, that was quite amusing.' John replied. 'How are you two settling in?'

'I'll be fine once I know where the iron is and have put my toothbrush in the bathroom,' mum said, folding up her now empty holdall and putting it in the bottom of the wardrobe.

I rolled my eyes at Sophie as John smiled. 'I'll never understand women,' he announced, shaking his head.

'And I'll never understand why you're wife is about to give birth and you still haven't built the furniture in that nursery.' Mum said.

'Well, we only just finished painting it because it's mother couldn't decide on the colour she wanted..'

'Stop right there, John Bates..' I protest. 'I am a pregnant woman, I am therefore entitled to take my time in many things, making decisions included.'

'Besides, what does having to wait to paint it have to do with building furniture?' Sophie chipped in. 'Couldn't you have built the furniture, put it in the middle of the room and covered it?'

John looked at our expectant faces, waiting for an explanation before shaking his head. 'I'm going to make a cup of tea.'

'Sounds lovely, no sugar, I'm sweet enough.' Mum called after John. 'And you're cooking dinner!'

* * *

After I had decided what I could stomach, the four of us ate our McDonalds outside on the decking John, Robert, Branson and William had fitted in the back garden which overlooked the beacj myself and John had shared our many romantic walks on.

'Have you decided on names yet, then? Last time we asked you had narrowed it down to twenty for each sex.' Mum asked, tucking into her chicken nuggets.

'Well, we've gone off India for a girl,' I say, screwing my nose up at the very thought of calling my daughter that.

'And Tarquin for a boy,' John said.

'Thank God,' Sophie laughed. 'So what have you kept?'

'Well,' I say, reaching across the table and squeezing John's hand. 'John chose Lily May for a girl, I chose Archie John for a boy.'

'Aww, that's lovely,' Mum cooed, clutching my free hand. 'Lovely choices.'

After finishing our meals, if you can call a McDonald's that, Mum and Sophie offered me and John some time alone whilst they went inside. Sitting in the hammock outside, safely wrapped in my husbands arms, I allowed my mind to wander to life after the baby had been born. However, I couldn't get past the birth. I had been anxious, but now it was getting closer, it was becoming more real and I'm not ashamed to admit I was scared.

'Are you alright?' John whispered, his fingers fiddling with my hair. 'You haven't said a word since they went inside.'

I sit up to look at him. 'Okay, don't laugh.'

'Me, laugh at you? Never...' John said sarcastically. Playfully slapping him on the arm my face turns serious. 'What is it?'

'I'm scared,' I say weakly.

'That's only natural Anna. Why would I laugh at that? Becoming a mother, hell even I'm scared that the tiny thing you are going to bring into the world will one day call me Dad. Dependant on us...'

'No, that's fine, although thanks for reminding me about the dependant on us thing.' I interrupt, sighing. 'It's the actual giving birth that I'm scared of.' Sitting forward to be beside me, he clasps my hands in his.

'Anna, I can't tell you it's not going to hurt. You know that. It's going to kill me to see you in that much pain.'

'Way to make me feel better, John.' I shake my head.

'What I can guarantee is I'll be there every step of the way. We're in this together, me and you.' Smiling, I let my lips meet his for a kiss before he pulls away. 'Unless the football is on, then I'll be in the bar.'

'Very funny,' I laugh as I settle back against him on the hammock. 'I do love you, I'm sorry for being so rotten to you for the past few weeks.'

'Well, I'll let you off.' He laughed. 'Just this once. And I love you too.'

* * *

**Bates POV**

'I tell you Rob, it's my fault the toast got burnt. It's even my fault she stubbed her toe on the doorframe.' I moan as myself and Robert reach the chip shop for lunch.

'How so?' Robert asks, opening the door for me.

'Apparently when I bought the house I should have insisted the doorframes were wider.' My reply is met by Robert's confused looking face. 'I know.'

'Cod and chips twice, please Mrs Patmore.' Robert orders before contemplating something. 'In the last stages of all three of her pregnancies, all I remember is being insatiable to Cora.'

'That's six fifty please Mr Crawley,' Mrs Patmore smiled.

'Seriously?' I reply, although my surprise is misread.

'Thanks mate,' Robert said as he handed a ten pound note to Mrs Patmore.

'No, I don't mean that. I mean, I'm lucky if I get so much as a handshake from Anna these past few days, let alone that.' Suddenly my phone begins to ring. Fumbling in my pocket, I pull out the phone and see that it's Sophie.

'It's Sophie.' I say before answering. 'Hello Soph..'

'She's in labour, well early stages. Hang on...' the line goes quiet as I stand there. 'John. Come home. Her waters have broken.'

'I'll be there in five.' I reply without hesitation. 'I've got to go, Anna's waters have broken.'

'God speed,' Robert replies as I open the door to the chip shop. 'John, your chips.'

'You have them,' I shout back as I run towards my car.

'Thanks pal, good luck!'


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so Baby Bates makes it's entrance. The story comes from a real life experience, I've tried to get it as realistic as possible. Nice fluffy 'shizz' as myself and my friend like to call it. This is all in John's POV. **

'Oh, for God's sake!' My car is blocked in, the bloody lorry that delivers the merchandise for Mikey and Perry conveniently parked in the middle of the car park.

'What's up gaffer?' William asks, looking up as he signed the delivery drivers clipboard.

'Anna's in labour and this monstrosity is blocking in my car.' I shout back.

'Here.' he replies, putting his hand in his pocket before pulling out his keys. 'Take the van.' He threw the keys in my direction.

Catching them, I run the idea over in my head. 'Take my wife, who is in labour, to the hospital, in a camper van?'

'Yeah,' William replied, walking to the back of the lorry with the driver. 'Either that or wait until we're done here. How many pallets, Dave?'

'Fourteen.'

I sigh before rubbing the bridge of my nose. 'Where's it parked?'

* * *

Pulling up outside the house, before I have even turned the ignition off, Sophie and Helen are helping Anna out of the house. Leaning on them for support, Anna clocks the van and stops dead on the path.

'I am not going to hospital in that. Travelling in it for my honeymoon was bad enough.' Anna squeals.

'You said you liked it on the honeymoon.' I say, partly hurt.

'I was lying! Arrggghhhh!' It was clear this wasn't the right time to argue over my choice of vehicle. Another contraction had arrived and Anna needed to get to hospital and soon.

'Look, I'm sorry my love.' I say, meeting her half way down the path. 'My car was blocked in.'

'It doesn't matter, lets just get her to the hospital, shall we?' Helen interrupts as she walks past me and helps Anna into the front of the van.

Walking around to the drivers side, I get in as Anna winds down her window. 'Now call us when you can.' Helen says.

'Will do,' I smile, starting the ignition whilst casting a worried glance at Anna. 'We'll be fine.'

'We'll be fine. What do you mean we?' Anna hisses. 'You aren't the one trying to push something the equivalent of a grapefruit through a hole the size of a lemon.'

'With that analogy, we'll leave you.' I smile.

'Good luck sweetheart, we'll be thinking of you.' Helen said, stroking Anna's arm.

* * *

Once at the hospital, Anna was quickly lead to a delivery suite. It seems my wife had been holding out on me. She had been feeling contractions since six the previous evening. On questioning why she hadn't told me I was met with a series of 'I hate you's' and 'don't ever touch me again.'

'I don't think it's going to be long until we are ready to greet your little one, Anna,' the nurse said. 'I'll just go and find the midwife.'

'Did you hear that, sweetheart. It's nearly time.' I say, sitting beside her and squeezing her hand.

'I'm sitting right here, John. I'm in labour, not deaf.' Anna replied, screwing her face up in pain.

'She used to like me,' I laugh, looking at the nurse before she leaves us to find the midwife.

She looked at me, the latest contraction wearing off and squeezed my hand. 'I'm sorry.'

'Why on earth are you sorry?'

'For snapping. For telling you I hate you. I don't mean it.' She sighs as her latest contraction wears off.

'I know you don't,' is my reply as I stroke her face. 'I hate seeing you like this.'

'Just think about what it's going to bring. I am.' Giving me the sweetest smile she ever has, I realise I have never loved anything as I do Anna in this moment.

'Right then Anna, my name is Becky, I'm your midwife.' The midwife announces her arrival before looking up at me. 'And this must be Dad.'

'Yeah. John.' I reply, looking on as she began to examine my wife.

'Right then Anna, I think we are ready to meet your baby.' the midwife announced.

'Now?' I exclaim, not expecting it all to happen so soon.

'Don't leave me John,' Anna squeals, grabbing on tightly to my arm.

'Never, my darling. I'll never leave you.' I whisper, kissing her head. 'You're stuck with me, for good and proper.'

* * *

Within a few moments, everything was in place for Anna to give birth. Two nurses had since arrived, one for Anna and one for the baby once it had made it's entrance. Everything that was going on was the norm. So why was it so scary? I stand behind Anna's head, holding onto her arms and leaning over her shoulder to utter words of support in her ear. I couldn't show her how petrified I was. Here she was, the most precious thing in the world to me, about to go through so much agony. Sure, the end result would be amazing but I wasn't looking forward to the process of achieving that result.

'Right, okay Anna. When the feeling takes you, I need you to push.' the doctor instructed, who had positioned himself at the bottom of the bed.

'I can't' Anna groaned, digging her head into my shoulder.

'Of course you can.' I encouraged. 'You're the strongest person I know. You can do it.' Anna began to push and my blood chilled at the noise she made. She gripped onto my hand tightly as she put all the energy she could muster into pushing.

'Good Anna, and again.' The midwife said.

'Well done sweetheart, you're doing so well.' I kissed her head and brushed some hair out of her eyes.

'Right, we've got the head.' the midwife announced. 'One more push and the baby should make his or her entrance.'

'Oh John, help me,' Anna let out an exasperated sigh.

'I'm right here my love,' I said. 'One more push and our baby will be here. How exciting is that?' Through the pain, Anna let her lips crease into a faint smile. 'You can do it.' Again, gripping my hand tightly she somehow found the energy to push and just a few seconds later our baby had entered the world.

It's a girl,' the midwife announced before her happy expression turned to concern.

'We have a daughter, Anna.' Smiling, I kiss Anna's head before looking up. The baby wasn't crying.

'What is it?' Anna asked, panic stricken. 'Why isn't she crying?'

As the nurse cut the cord, I could sense Anna panicking. I was too but the most important thing to me was keeping Anna calm.

'Hey, come on sweetheart.' I said, rubbing Anna's arms up and down. 'You did so well. I am so proud of you.' We both looked to the other side of the room to see the doctor and some nurses leaning over the table, putting some sort of tube down our daughters throat. Suddenly, a couple of doctors came racing into the room.

'John, what are they doing?' Anna cried out.

'I... I don't know.' was my shaky reply. 'Hey, do you still like Lily May?' John asked, trying to divert Anna's attentions.

'John, why isn't she crying?' Anna was crying now, her face pressed into my arm. Standing in silence, the only thing I could do was rest my head against hers. Closing my eyes, I was desperately willing my daughter to cry. After what seemed an eternity, we began to hear noise from the other side of the room. Whimpers soon turned into a full blown wailing, and I had never felt relief like it.

'Is she okay?' Anna asked, looking over at the nurses now carrying their daughter towards them.

'She swallowed something in the birth canal.' one of the doctors explained. 'We don't know what but it blocked her windpipe. I would send her to the ICU but her wailing makes me think there's no need.'

'Thank you doctor.' Holding out my hand, the doctor shook it.

One of the nurses approached myself and Anna. 'We'll get her cleaned up, let you get refreshed yourself then we'll bring her back to meet mummy and daddy.'

'Please don't be long,' Anna pleaded.

'Twenty minutes tops, Mrs Bates.' the nurse reassured Anna.

* * *

In the time we were apart from our daughter, Anna had a quick wash whilst I called those who needed to know. Both of us waited in anticipation for our baby to be brought back to us.

'You were amazing,' I smile. 'I've never been more proud of anyone than I am of you right now. Just when I thought I couldn't love you more you go and surprise me again.'

'I love you too.' Anna replied, reaching out for my hand. Taking it, I squeezed it tightly and met her gaze. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'

Just then, the door opened and the first thing to appear was a small crib. The baby had a little pink hat on and was wheeled around to the left of Anna.

'How cool is that? Babies come with hats.' I joke.

'Okay, mum and dad, meet your daughter.' the nurse pushing the girl said. 'Mum, would you like to hold her?'

'Yes,' Anna exclaimed, sitting up in the bed as I stood up from the bed to give her a moment with her baby.

Watching with interest, I smile as Anna holds the small bundle in her arms. I have never seen such a look of complete love than that which is on Anna's face right now.

'She weighed eight pounds, three ounces, Mrs Bates. We'd like to keep the both of you in, maybe for forty eight hours. Nothing is wrong, just because of the complications at birth and because she is your first.'

'Fine,' Anna grinned, her eyes not leaving the gaze of our daughter.

'Do we have a name?' the nurse asked as she filled in the form on the clipboard at the end of Anna's bed.

'You say it, John.' Anna sighed.

'Lily,' I reply. 'Lily May Bates.'

'Beautiful.' the nurse smiled as she noted down the name and attached the clipboard to the end of the bed. 'Mrs Bates, do try and drink something.'

Anna didn't hear, she was too wrapped up in our daughter laying in her arms. Nodding at the nurses in acknowledgement as they left the room, I felt my eyes welling up as I stood watching Anna examining the little bundle lying in front of her. I had waited my whole life for this moment, imagined it, and it was never as perfect as this.

'Oh John, she's perfect,' Anna cried. 'Come and sit with us.'

'Yes sorry. Just storing this image in my mind. The two of you look beautiful together. So natural. My girls.'

Walking to the bed and with Anna's small frame nearly restored, I manage to sit down beside her and Lily, my legs on the bed as well. Putting an arm around Anna, I place a gentle hand on our daughter's head . 'Wow, can't believe something as big and ugly as me made something as small and precious as her.'

'Our Lily.' Anna whispered, resting her head on my shoulder.


End file.
